How To Make Lime Buttercream

Traditionally you do sponge cake with fresh fruit on it. We did sponge cake cupcakes with this lime buttercream.

Frosting doesn’t need to be just decoration. Add some flavor and you can multiply the possible taste combinations by a lot.

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter (2/3 of a stick)
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon lime zest
water
(Photos below show a double recipe)

Directions

Buttercream is simple, but takes patience and practice. I’ll explain why as I go.

Start by softening the butter – not quite completely melted, but close – then combine that, the lime zest and juice, and a scoop (about a quarter cup) of the sugar.

Start mixing on low speed, and add another scoop of sugar whenever the last one is mostly absorbed.

This is where the patience come in. You could, if you really wanted to, just add everything all in one batch and turn it on. Don’t blame when you end up looking like Milton Berle.

Once all the sugar is added, check the consistency. This is too dry, so add about a teaspoon of water and mix again.

You want it nice and smooth, about the consistency of toothpaste. This is where the practice comes in. You want it thin enough to squeeze through the nozzle, but not so thin it slides off the cake.

When you’re almost there, check the flavor and decide if it needs a little more lime.

Scoop the finished frosting into a piping bag and use right away.

And that’s it.

PS: That’s a spongecake cupcake in the picture above. Click that link for the recipe.